diff --git a/src/config.cr b/src/config.cr
index 6c31c5b..408b554 100644
--- a/src/config.cr
+++ b/src/config.cr
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class Config
   property page_margin : Int32 = 30
   property disable_login = false
   property default_username = ""
+  property auth_proxy_header_name = ""
   property mangadex = Hash(String, String | Int32).new
 
   @[YAML::Field(ignore: true)]
diff --git a/src/handlers/auth_handler.cr b/src/handlers/auth_handler.cr
index b6891d5..692fa8a 100644
--- a/src/handlers/auth_handler.cr
+++ b/src/handlers/auth_handler.cr
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ class AuthHandler < Kemal::Handler
     env.response.status_code = 401
     env.response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = HEADER_LOGIN_REQUIRED
     env.response.print AUTH_MESSAGE
-    call_next env
+  end
+
+  def require_auth(env)
+    env.session.string "callback", env.request.path
+    redirect env, "/login"
   end
 
   def validate_token(env)
@@ -49,55 +53,50 @@ class AuthHandler < Kemal::Handler
     Storage.default.verify_user username, password
   end
 
-  def handle_opds_auth(env)
-    if validate_token(env) || validate_auth_header(env)
-      call_next env
-    else
-      env.response.status_code = 401
-      env.response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = HEADER_LOGIN_REQUIRED
-      env.response.print AUTH_MESSAGE
-    end
-  end
-
-  def handle_auth(env)
+  def call(env)
+    # Skip all authentication if requesting /login, /logout, or a static file
     if request_path_startswith(env, ["/login", "/logout"]) ||
        requesting_static_file env
       return call_next(env)
     end
 
-    unless validate_token(env) || Config.current.disable_login
-      env.session.string "callback", env.request.path
-      return redirect env, "/login"
+    # Check user is logged in
+    if validate_token env
+      # Skip if the request has a valid token
+    elsif Config.current.disable_login
+      # Check default username if login is disabled
+      unless Storage.default.username_exists Config.current.default_username
+        Logger.warn "Default username #{Config.current.default_username} " \
+                    "does not exist"
+        return require_auth env
+      end
+    elsif !Config.current.auth_proxy_header_name.empty?
+      # Check auth proxy if present
+      username = env.request.headers[Config.current.auth_proxy_header_name]?
+      unless username && Storage.default.username_exists username
+        Logger.warn "Header #{Config.current.auth_proxy_header_name} unset " \
+                    "or is not a valid username"
+        return require_auth env
+      end
+    elsif request_path_startswith env, ["/opds"]
+      # Check auth header if requesting an opds page
+      unless validate_auth_header env
+        return require_basic_auth env
+      end
+    else
+      return require_auth env
     end
 
-    if request_path_startswith env, ["/admin", "/api/admin", "/download"]
-      # The token (if exists) takes precedence over the default user option.
-      #   this is why we check the default username first before checking the
-      #   token.
-      should_reject = true
-      if Config.current.disable_login &&
-         Storage.default.username_is_admin Config.current.default_username
-        should_reject = false
-      end
-      if env.session.string? "token"
-        should_reject = !validate_token_admin(env)
-      end
-      if should_reject
+    # Check admin access when requesting an admin page
+    if request_path_startswith env, %w(/admin /api/admin /download)
+      unless is_admin? env
         env.response.status_code = 403
-        send_error_page "HTTP 403: You are not authorized to visit " \
-                        "#{env.request.path}"
-        return
+        return send_error_page "HTTP 403: You are not authorized to visit " \
+                               "#{env.request.path}"
       end
     end
 
+    # Let the request go through if it passes the above checks
     call_next env
   end
-
-  def call(env)
-    if request_path_startswith env, ["/opds"]
-      handle_opds_auth env
-    else
-      handle_auth env
-    end
-  end
 end
diff --git a/src/storage.cr b/src/storage.cr
index 2bc6daa..937200f 100644
--- a/src/storage.cr
+++ b/src/storage.cr
@@ -48,14 +48,6 @@ class Storage
 
         user_count = db.query_one "select count(*) from users", as: Int32
         init_admin if init_user && user_count == 0
-
-        # Verifies that the default username in config is valid
-        if Config.current.disable_login
-          username = Config.current.default_username
-          unless username_exists username
-            raise "Default username #{username} does not exist"
-          end
-        end
       end
       unless @auto_close
         @db = DB.open "sqlite3://#{@path}"
diff --git a/src/util/web.cr b/src/util/web.cr
index 03c114d..67227c7 100644
--- a/src/util/web.cr
+++ b/src/util/web.cr
@@ -1,23 +1,23 @@
 # Web related helper functions/macros
 
-# This macro defines `is_admin` when used
-macro check_admin_access
+def is_admin?(env) : Bool
   is_admin = false
-  # The token (if exists) takes precedence over the default user option.
-  #   this is why we check the default username first before checking the
-  #   token.
-  if Config.current.disable_login
-    is_admin = Storage.default.
-      username_is_admin Config.current.default_username
+  if !Config.current.auth_proxy_header_name.empty? ||
+     Config.current.disable_login
+    is_admin = Storage.default.username_is_admin get_username env
   end
+
+  # The token (if exists) takes precedence over other authentication methods.
   if token = env.session.string? "token"
     is_admin = Storage.default.verify_admin token
   end
+
+  is_admin
 end
 
 macro layout(name)
   base_url = Config.current.base_url
-  check_admin_access
+  is_admin = is_admin? env
   begin
     page = {{name}}
     render "src/views/#{{{name}}}.html.ecr", "src/views/layout.html.ecr"
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ end
 macro send_error_page(msg)
   message = {{msg}}
   base_url = Config.current.base_url
-  check_admin_access
+  is_admin = is_admin? env
   page = "Error"
   html = render "src/views/message.html.ecr", "src/views/layout.html.ecr"
   send_file env, html.to_slice, "text/html"
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ macro get_username(env)
   rescue e
     if Config.current.disable_login
       Config.current.default_username
+    elsif (header = Config.current.auth_proxy_header_name) && !header.empty?
+      env.request.headers[header]
     else
       raise e
     end